ANGRY bus users are planning to lobby Kirklees Council in a bid to get two services reinstated.

About 30 passengers are expected to attend a full council meeting on January 19 at Huddersfield Town Hall.

Frustrated with a lack of response from First bus, they plan to ask Kirklees Council to help arrange a meeting between them and the bus company.

Jean Goodison, of Newsome, co-ordinating the lobby, said: "We have just got no response from anyone at First. We are asking the council if they can help us."

The passengers want the First 308 bus service reinstated and the 368 bus service extended.

The 308 ran round Taylor Hill in one direction, while the 306 service ran in the other.

Both ran every 20 minutes but another bus company started operating in Taylor Hill and the 308's revenues fell.

In April, First took away the 308 and just ran the 306 in one direction every 10 minutes.

This left out Cross Lane and Primrose Hill, leaving them with one bus an hour, the First Service 312.

Winifred Lockwood, of Primrose Grove, Primrose Hill, used to use the 308 bus from Cross Lane to town.

She said: "I was left with one bus an hour which sometimes missed altogether or I could take a long walk to Lockwood Scar.

"They have just cut Primrose Hill off altogether.

"It makes things difficult, especially for elderly people. It's a shame and unfair."

First commercial director, Graham Riley, said: "The decision to withdraw and combine the routes was one of commercial necessity, as the number using buses declined to a point where it is no longer viable to run routes."

The second service in question - the 368 - replaced the 393 Milnsbridge Circular service, which was withdrawn last April to reduce costs.

The 393 used to go from the bus station to Birkby, Weatherhill, Lindley, Mount, Milnsbridge, Newsome, Almondbury and back to the station.

However, the 368 terminated at Newsome, missing out Almondbury.

First ran a new service, the 339, to link Newsome and Almondbury but passengers complained that it was too infrequent.

Susan McAllister, of Kaye Lane in Almondbury, used to get the 393 to work at Crosland Moor.

She said: "The changes made a big difference to people's lives.

They just took it away without warning."

Passengers want the 368 extended to cover Almondbury.

Mr Riley said First had been waiting to see if the 339 would prove viable before reinstating the 368 to Almondbury.

He said: "As service 339 was running at the time we delayed a decision until we were satisfied it would not cover its costs. After almost 12 months of operation it has not reached that position."

The 339 will be scrapped from January 30 and the 368 extended to Almondbury.

However, he said the 308 would not be reinstated. It was a commercial service and had to cover its costs, which it was not doing.

"In certain circumstances, a subsidy may be forthcoming from the Passenger Transport Executive.

"This is not my decision."